Thongchai Jaidee and Thaworn Wiratchant ready for King’s Cup battle
Thai stars Thongchai Jaidee and Thaworn Wiratchant have set their sights on winning the King’s Cup, when the tournament kicks off this week for the first time in two years.
The tournament will be played at the Singha Park Khon Kaen Golf Club, with 33 Asian Tour winners gracing the event.
Last year, the tournament officials decided not to stage the event due to heavy floods that hit the region. This year, the event will make a return to Thailand, offering a total prize fund of US$500,000.
The King’s Cup is known for attracting some of the best players from different parts of the world.
This year, too, the tournament has reeled in some prominent names, including the likes of 2009 champion Chan Yih-Shin, the in-form Shiv Kapur and the winner of the 2012 HANDA FALDO Cambodian Classic, David Lipsky.
Wiratchant, who has won three Asian Tour events this season, aims to win the Order of Merit title for the second time in his career. Earlier, he won the prestigious title in 2005.
This year, he became the only player in the history of the tour to record 15 victories in his career. Jaidee currently holds the second spot with 13 titles registered to his name.
Wiratchant now plans to extend his lead in the number of wins, by taking home the King’s Cup, which will also take him to the top of the Order of Merit.
He currently trails the leader Marcus Fraser by about US$24,000. With Fraser skipping the remaining three tournaments on the 2012 roster, the Thai star has a golden chance to achieve his target in the weeks to come.
“I want to play my best and hopefully it’ll be good enough to win the Order of Merit for the second time,” said Thaworn.
Thaworn has bagged a hefty sum of US$628,131 this season from three victories. His glories came in the Queen’s Cup, Worldwide Holdings Selangor Masters in Malaysia and Hero Indian Open.
If Wiratchant succeeds in winning the tournament this week, he will also achieve a unique double, having won the Queen’s Cup earlier this season.
The three-time Order of Merit champion Jaidee, in the meantime, is seeking to end his two-year title drought on the Asian Tour.
The 2010 Johnnie Walker Cambodian Open was the last tournament that he won on the Asian Tour.
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